Miners protest, demanding monetary reparations
In the mining town of Coahuila, Mexico, the survivors of the El Pinabete tragedy continue their fight for justice, three years after the tragic flood that claimed the lives of 10 workers. The miners, now pensioned with a meagre salary, feel forgotten and unsupported, as nothing has been resolved since the incident.
Lawyer Gerardo Pérez Pérez represents five of these survivors, pursuing a lawsuit through administrative channels against the Secretariat of Labor and Social Security (STPS). The complaint details the physical and psychological sequelae of the survivors, including post-traumatic stress, anxiety disorders, long-term depressive states, nightmares, and generalized fear.
One of the survivors, Fidencio Sillas, endured water in his lungs and two broken ribs as a result of the flood. Today, he struggles with sleep, nightmares, and headaches due to the trauma. His work as a helper earns him a very low salary compared to his previous earnings in the mine, and he can barely look at large amounts of water due to the incident.
The lawsuit accuses the STPS of neglecting inspection, control, vigilance, supervision, and penalties that led to the mine's flooding. It alleges that the STPS omitted obligations such as ensuring hydrogeological studies, geological plans, emergency exits, and two vertical shafts in the El Pinabete mine.
If the lawsuit is ruled against, Pérez plans to appeal to the Federal Tribunal of Administrative Justice. The request is for an indemnification of 10 million pesos for each miner, as established by law.
Despite repeated pleas and protests during President Claudia Sheinbaum's visits to the Carboniferous region, the survivors have not been attended to. The El Pinabete mine was surrounded by abandoned and old mines that were flooded with water, making it "evident" that the measures established in the norms were "indispensable."
The miners were promised housing and scholarships for their children by authorities following the tragedy, but these promises were not fulfilled. The two engineers who visited the mine were hired by the mine's bosses, raising questions about the integrity of the inspections.
As the legal battle continues, the survivors remain hopeful, attending events to remember the mine's victims in the hope of being noticed. Their courage and determination serve as a testament to their resilience in the face of adversity.
[1] It should be noted that the latest external knowledge beyond these search results does not provide any case-specific details or updates regarding the legal case of El Pinabete mine survivors seeking compensation from the STPS in Coahuila, Mexico.
- The survivors of the El Pinabete tragedy, led by lawyer Gerardo Pérez Pérez, are persistently pursuing a lawsuit for mental-health issues related to the flooding, including post-traumatic stress, anxiety disorders, long-term depressive states, nightmares, and generalized fear.
- Amid their struggle for justice, these health-and-wellness issues have also affected their work lives and personal lives, such as Fidencio Sillas, who now struggles with sleep, nightmares, and headaches due to the trauma, and faces a lower salary compared to his pre-incident earnings.
